Fire destroys B.C. car collection
DISASTER: 40 classic cars, pickup trucks and memorabilia lost in blaze
Garry and Darlene Cassidy of B.C. were in Las Vegas after attending the Barrett-Jackson auction when they learned about a fire that destroyed their collection of 40 high-end muscle cars, classic cars and pickup trucks.
They had recently built their 8,500-square foot showroom in rural Langley, 45 minutes east of Vancouver, to house the collector cars they had purchased and restored over the past 30 years.
A new home they had constructed nearby was not touched by the blaze.
The fire broke out at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning. Flames were shooting 50 feet into the air when Langley District firefighters arrived on the scene. The building, cars and a large memorabilia collection are a total loss. The cars were valued at $2.3 million and are covered by Hagerty Insurance.
Reached by telephone shortly before boarding a flight to Vancouver from Las Vegas several hours after the fire, Garry Cassidy said he and his wife are devastated by the loss.
“Insurance is one thing, but some of these cars are irreplaceable. They are like losing your children,” he said. The cars include vintage and rare Corvettes, Camaros, Chevy IIs, Chevrolet and GMC pickup trucks from the 1950s and a matching pair of 1955 Pontiac Chieftain models — a two-door hardtop and a Safari station wagon — both restored to the highest standard.
The Cassidys, who operate a successful tanker trucking company, are well known in collector-car circles in both Canada and the U.S. as they regularly participate in car shows and attend auctions south of the border. Many of their cars were purchased at the Barrett-Jackson auctions.
Hagerty Insurance Canadian representative Nigel Matthews advises dealing with a specialist when insuring collector vehicles.
“You can’t replace the cars from a lifetime of collecting. And there is a difference between agreed-value insurance and regular insurance,” he says.
Garry Cassidy confirmed that both the building and vehicles it houses were fully insured.